


Write Me Lies

by kurikku



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Humor, Modern Era, Pen Pals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-09-19 03:17:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 9,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20324200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurikku/pseuds/kurikku
Summary: Byleth wanted a penpal but always found it hard to write about herself and her day. One day, she encountered an interesting online post and went for it. Writing imaginary fun times and reading her penpal's equally if not more entertaining stories became the highlights of her months. Modern AU.Crimson Flower Route spoilers!





	1. JUNE

Byleth may be quick but she always took her time in keeping her épée away. Stoned-face, she stared at her fencing mask in front of her locker. She heaved out a silent sigh, breathing in the sweaty room. How she wished she could just fence her whole day away. Eventually, after poking it multiple times, she put it away before her father called for her.

"So, what did your pen pal say?"

"Oh shoot, I forgot to reply him! But yeah it's been fun writing to him!"

_Pen pal? Fun?_

Perspiration ran down her neck as she stood still, contemplating what she just heard. Curiosity got the best of her as she turned around. Two ladies were chatting to each other as they cleared up their equipment.

"I want a pen pal too... but how am I going to get one? Isn't penpaling a dead art form with emails and all?"

"Of course not, now it's even easier to find one! Go to the subreddit I mentioned about, there are many peeps interested in sending out mail."

_...There's a subreddit on pen pals?_

She stroked her fingers together, feeling the lingering markings from the mask.

Soon enough, the pattern disappeared, flattened from her aggressive taps on her phone searching for it all night.

* * *

Days had passed without much luck. The excitement faltered in her eyes which only her father picked up on.

"What's wrong, kid?"

The balmy air was warm even after dusk has fallen. The dock lights glowed underneath them, illuminating their tired faces. Byleth finally tore away from her phone down and faced her father. Jeralt kept his eyes on his fishing rod while suppressing a yawn. Even at the age of 25, he won't let that nickname go.

"There are no replies."

"Oh, the pen pal thing? Is the internet connection bad here?"

"There is..."

"Hmm."

Byleth hummed along and swung her feet to swat away the mosquitoes. Her eyes fixated on the calming ripples on the lake.

She had been excited about making a new friend. It had been a long time since she remembered having one. Whenever she tried conversing with her fencing peers, they kept it a minimum. Sometimes, it ended with them asking for her autograph. They claimed she was their inspiration in starting the sport. However, she didn't want to be a role model, she wanted friends.

She didn't want a rival either.

Leonie was always in her face, reminding how much Byleth had didn't appreciate Jeralt enough. It was strange that she never really shove that down onto others. Nevertheless, Byleth let her sword did the talking which usually sent the orange haired rival off for more practice.

The reeling drew her attention. Another fish had been caught for dinner, joining the bucket full of its kind. Jeralt did not stop, he still had baits to use.

Closing her eyes, Byleth rested her head on his shoulder. Her hair brushed and tickled her neck. The splashes slowly luring her into a sleepy spell.

She thought that chatting online would be easier without showing her face. But it seemed that her lack of expression was not the only thing hindering her. She struggled coming up with interesting lines about herself, often replying with one or two liners. She couldn't carry the conversation even if her life depended on it.

It still hurt to be ghosted.

"Well, that takes me back. You wore the same expression when you just picked up fencing."

Byleth opened her eyes to him grinning. She asked, "You remembered?"

"Yeah, rich coming from me, isn't it? Well, my memory is pretty bad but I also remembered what you did next. You never gave up practising."

She remained still. Memories began to flood her mind. Not wanting to be left alone whenever he left for fencing competitions, she picked up a practice sword and did her best to catch up to him. Her hard work paid off in medals, trophies and most importantly a place by her father's side.

"Thank you."

With that, Byleth left the dock with the bucket of fish in preparation for dinner and determination.

* * *

"**Write me lies."**

A thread caught her eye. Her finger hovered over the post. With widened eyes, she opened it.

"Tell me lies of your life and I will tell you mine. A bittersweet star-crossed love letter. A touching letter of will. An exciting heist. A magical world where dragons exist and kidnap princesses for treasures. Anything will do.

  * Strictly emails;
  * Reply in alternate months and;
  * A minimum of 50 words per email.

I will start off with my lie and kindly reply with yours before the end of the month (GMT+8). If I found it acceptable, you will find another lie in your inbox on 1st July.

Posted by u/FlamEmperor"

Byleth's fingers moved by themselves, instantly typing away a formal request onto their direct message to indicate their interest. She also noted that she might reply slow as imagination was not her strong suit but she wanted a chance to try.

She didn't realise she wasn't breathing until she sent the message. She also didn't expect to receive an instant reply too.

A notification popped up. _An email from Flamemper0r@hotmail.com!_

> "Dear u/Ashendem0n,
> 
> Thank you for your interest. Please hear my lie:
> 
> _School is about to begin. I held my head up high, reminding myself that I represent The Empire as their only princess. If I hadn't been born to House Hresvelg, I imagine life would have been much simpler. Such complaints will not be tolerated, especially by my uncle. Nevertheless, I will carry out my duty._
> 
> Thank you and I hope to hear yours soon.
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Flame Emperor"

* * *

"Don't think too hard on it." Jeralt ruffled her hair, hiding the slight frown lines on her forehead, "Write about what interesting thing that comes to your mind first. Hmm... what about the pets you always wanted to keep?"

Not wanting to mess up her first impression, she sought her father's advice. She found herself spending hours googling images of animals on her phone. She always wanted an eagle, it always looked cool for it to rest on people's arms. In reality, the closest thing she had for a pet was a pet rock. At 10 years old, she glued googly eyes onto a rock she found during recess and claimed it as her friend. She did not remember much but Jeralt mentioned she didn't want to let it go even during toilet breaks and when she sleeps.

Lying comfortably on her campervan bed, she began her email.

> "Hi Flame Emperor,
> 
> Thank you for giving me this opportunity.
> 
> _I count today's foraging one last time. 22 pieces of diamond pebbles. It's lesser than usual but it's enough for the day. I whistled for my companion and it flew towards me. Rocky, my faithful Eagle, landed on my arm. I pat it fondly before we head off to the merchant for our profit._
> 
> I hope you like it.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone"

A tiny smile crept up her face. She found it satisfying and relaxing to write.

Before she sent it, she wondered if she should remark on the princess story.

Thus, she added on, "The princess seems to be in distress about going to school. Will a dragon kidnap her out of it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expect daily updates~


	2. JULY

In the quiet room of the library, Edelgard was busy scanning through her emails on her laptop.

The student double checked the spelling of the recipient's email again, especially the number of 'x's.

_Byleth E<xxxashendemon@live.com>_

Then, she reread her email.

> "Dear Byleth,
> 
> Thank you for your previous email. Please hear my next lie:
> 
> _I don't need any dragon to kidnap me away. In fact, they should be run while they can as I will slay them. Those dragons who disguised themselves as humans... I will expose their ruses to the world and claim back what we have lost, starting with infiltrating the monastery as their pupil._
> 
> Coincidentally, the princess's class is called Black Eagles.
> 
> By the way, you don't need to continue with your initial story. It can be anything else.
> 
> Warm Regards
> 
> Flame Emperor"

Satisfied, she sent out all her emails. Her stories for the month were the same for all the pen pals for efficiency. She checked her spam fodder once more, making sure none of their emails ended up there.

She looked down to her notes, more specifically her handwriting. Her classmate, Dorothea, had mentioned how pretty her handwriting was and remarked it would be great for pen pals. She fancied the thought of writing letters to a faraway friend, however, she didn't have anyone in mind who she could send a letter to.

During her grand 21st birthday sponsored by her uncle last month, she made a silent wish to make a friend by casual means. Having pen pals were an intriguing and simple idea. It would be more amazing if they were from overseas, sharing their different perspectives and views. She googled around and found that there was a subreddit for it. Well, she could afford to spare a few minutes every month.

It was great to finally post something other than upvoting cat videos.

Edelgard made sure that nobody in real life would find her. Location was not a problem. She only logged in when nobody was around. She could log in at home but privacy was non-existent there, so she settled with the library where students were busy minding their own business. The main issue was her personal butler, Hubert. She didn't need an obligatory pen pal. She decided that made-up stories would hide her tracks nicely.

She logged into her reddit account and deleted the thread. She received more requests than she expected and didn't want to overwhelm herself. It felt nice to indulge herself in carefree fantasy worlds. She didn't expect much though, for she was sure that their interests would drop eventually.

Occasionally, she checked her makeup mirror on her desk to make sure nobody was watching her from behind.

Other than Hubert, there was someone else she needed to look out for.

His name is Ferdinand Von Aegir.

He annoyed her to no end. As if being classmates was not enough, he joined her in the debate club as well. He self proclaimed himself as her greatest rival, challenging her to everything on the spot.

Edelgard had chosen this particular section of the library because he was banned from entering it. His unneeded and loud introduction would end in shushes pressuring him to leave the library.

Even so, she had a nagging feeling that he might be loitering outside the quiet room, ready to strike a conversation with her.

_He. Must. Never. Find. This. Account._

Another reason why she was keen to find friends, was the lack thereof. While she was constantly surrounded by her peers and teachers, she kept them at a professional distance. She rarely had the time to hang out with her schoolmates outside of school, let alone lazing around at home.

Under the veil of an anonymous online identity, it allowed her to let her guard down.

This was her closest chance on forging simple friendships and she hoped it will come true.


	3. AUGUST

After washing her hair from her bimonthly trimming, Byleth reread the email for the fifth time.

_They're good... Did I bore them with my pebbles story?_

She didn't expect them to twist the story into a dark one. Meanwhile, she was taking her time to reply. It was almost a week into August already.

She noticed the Flame Emperor didn't comment on the pebbles. Perhaps it was too dull for her pen pal.

Byleth opened her incomplete drafts. She was unsatisfied with every WIP that she came up with and couldn't finish any of them. Most of the time, she stared blankly at her phone, unable to write anything at all. Was she not cut out for this after all?

Water droplets dripped from her fringe onto her phone. On reflex, she locked her phone and wiped the screen with her towel. As she unlocked her phone, she was surprised by the time.

_6:40AM!_

She had spent a good ten minutes in the bathroom staring at the email.

Byleth rushed out and grabbed her utensils before making her way outside. There, Jeralt sat impatiently by the campfire. With one hand, he kept stirring the pot of corn chowder with the ladle. Each sniff made him bite his dry lips from thirst. He already lost count the number of times his stomach had growled. On the other hand, his eyes bore into his phone lockscreen as time passed by.

Upon hearing her hurried footsteps, he said, "Good God, do I have to start calling you out from the bathroom like the locker rooms too now?"

He took a glance at his daughter and let out a sigh.

"I would say put away your phone when we're about to eat but that would be me preaching. So, did you grow another arm?"

Byleth raised her eyebrows and followed his line of sight-she was holding one spoon and two forks.

_Growing another arm...?_

However, instead of an apology, she thanked him.

"Hey, thanks father. What do you think of a green elf merchant with three arms?"

"What in the blazes-oh you mean for your pen pal?"

"Is it interesting?"

"Uh," Jeralt blinked rapidly at her nodding. He hadn't had his drink for tonight yet but he already felt drunk. "sure, I guess."

"Then, I'll write about that."

"Huh. You seem to be enjoying yourself, kid."

"I am."

"Well, if I'm seeing a creature with three arms tonight, I know who to blame."

"Father, please."

"Kidding kid. It's been a while since I saw you this happy. Let the old man tease ya once in a while."

* * *

> "Hi Flame Emperor,
> 
> Sorry I took a while but I hope you like this.
> 
> _I never had much help around this place. People tend to run away at the sight of my green skin. Luckily, I have three arms! One to promote my goods, one to sell them and one to scratch my nose whenever I need the extra hand. Oh most importantly, it is great for swatting those pesky mosquitoes!_
> 
> BTW, I really like the twist about your princess.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone."


	4. SEPTEMBER

Sitting upright, Edelgard bid her club members farewell and stayed behind. Concurrently, Hubert was occupied with his research in the library and would join her shortly.

She raked the air-conditioned room with her gaze, ensuring everyone had left. Once, she found Linhardt on the couch dozing off and he didn't even belong in the club! Pleased that she was alone, she logged into her email.

The number of replies had downsized to three, and honestly, she did not expect to see Byleth being one of them. She assumed from their childish stories, they might be put off from her dark ones.

Did her username deter the potential and ex-pen pals off? Just like in real life?

She earned her infamous title, Flame Emperor, from roasting her opponents into crisps. Be it practice or actual competition, she didn't go easy on anybody. Perhaps it was time to explain the username to them.

> "Dear Byleth,
> 
> _At the end of the month, the monastery’s holy graveyard will be open to the public. On that very day, I will come in as the dreaded Flame Emperor along with the Empire troops to infiltrate and obtain their disgusting crest stones. I also despise those vermin that I had to work with but I require their power for now._
> 
> I must admit that the idea of having three arms is somehow riveting. As long as it does not end up as an aesthetic feature like a tail, I think it would improve our lives significantly.
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Flame Emperor"

With a quick copy & paste and glance through for the other two emails, she sent the emails. Her mouth was pressed into a thin line. She could not shake the icky feeling that it might be the last email sent to Byleth. Although their stories were silly, she found herself doodling a three arm merchant and eagle pecking rocks on rare occasions. It was a nice distraction when her brain was overloaded from her studies. Especially when nobody had ever told those kind of stories to her before.

"Lady Edelgard, thank you for the wait." Her butler bowed at the door. His low voice snapping her out of her thoughts, "Shall we go now?"

"Oh, Hubert." She paused, trying to find her voice. "Let's go."

She left the room wondering if she should set up a new thread soon.


	5. OCTOBER

No emails were received nor sent.

Despite that, the Flame Emperor didn't put up a new thread.


	6. NOVEMBER

**EARLY NOVEMBER**

With the national semi-finals around the corner, Byleth had been obsessed with her training she neglected everything else.

That included replying her pen pal.

It was only when Byleth saw her father holding a pen after practice, she remembered about it. She was already a month overdue.

She lingered in the locker room, clutching her phone. There were no new emails. When her father called for her, she felt dejected for a different reason.

* * *

Dumping her clothes into the laundromat, her mind swirled along with the laundry. She almost pressed the wrong buttons, almost bleaching her black outfits. But she didn't care. Leonie had beaten her during practice too. She didn't care about that as well.

Byleth rubbed her sweaty palms against her stockings each time she tried typing her apology email.

_Maybe they don't want to hear from me anymore._

She leaned against the machine, shaken by the slight vibration and her nervousness. Closing her eyes, she recalled her father's advice.

_"You never gave up practising."_

Byleth slid down the machine and went into a squatting position. On-lookers kept their eyes to themselves, worried that the strange and fierce lady might be a thug that would beat them up if they dare to spare a second glance at her.

She tried searching for the thread that Flame Emperor made but she had no luck. They didn't create any recent posts either.

_Maybe... they ghosted me back._

Reminiscing the excitement on her first email, she expelled a deep sigh. How she longed for it.

The eye-catching title. The creative and non-restrictive guidelines for the monthly content. The thrill and relaxing feeling when writing them despite her worries.

And she screwed it up.

Opening the email again, she found her vision blurred. Blurred from her swimming vision.

The closest thing she had on having a friend. She didn't want it to end.

It started with lies and it won't end that way.

So this time, she won't write any lies. She will tell the truth.

> "Hi Flame Emperor,
> 
> In this email, I want to apologise for many things.
> 
> Firstly, there won't be any lies.
> 
> Secondly, I'm sorry that I didn't send any emails last month. It slipped my mind from my busy training sessions. My semi-finals is coming up in a few days time. It is a very important competition for me. I know it's not a good excuse. I am very sorry.
> 
> I do hope we can still continue as pen pals. I truly enjoyed every email we received, no matter how short. I admire how your princess isn't a damsel in distress and I was very engrossed in writing exciting stories for you. I thought it was amazing to receive the fifth email from you. Usually my personal email threads ended at the 2nd one.
> 
> Again, I'm very sorry.
> 
> Thank you for reading.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone."

With a shaky breath and hand, she sent it.

She locked her phone, taking deep breaths to calm her noisy heartbeat. This was tougher than any fencing tournament she had been in.

Suddenly, her screen lighted up. A reply in less than 50 words.

> "Dear Byleth,
> 
> That's okay, let's take a break this month too.
> 
> Good luck with your competition and thank you for your honesty.
> 
> I'm happy to hear from you again.
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Flame Emperor"

* * *

**LATE NOVEMBER**

At this point in time, only Byleth was the only pen pal left that replied her.

Edelgard closed her notes that she was revising and logged onto her email. There were many students studying in the library but that did not stop her from checking on her pen pal.

The corners of her mouth tipped upwards. How glad she was to hear from them again. She won't lie that their sincerity got her feeling warm inside. Even Hubert noticed how low she was last month. Not to mention her annoying rival too.

Then, she realised she knew nothing about them until the recent email.

_Are they having school examinations too? But they mentioned training... for a sport?_

She knew that she created the post to indulge in fantasy. That wasn't enough for her now.

_Perhaps... a mix of lies and truths?_

So she began drafting her proposal.

> "Dear Byleth,
> 
> I hope you are well, especially with your competition. May I propose a new way for our stories?
> 
> For your next one, please include one truth in it and I shall guess which part of it is true. I will do the same for the next one.
> 
> We don't have to take the alternative months to reply. We can take our time. I understand you might be busy with other things.
> 
> I hope for your favourable reply.
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Flame Emperor"

It took her pen pal a few days later to reply.

> "Hi Flame Emperor,
> 
> Thank you for the opportunity again. My competition went well, I'm proceeding to the finals.
> 
> I like the new idea and here is my story:
> 
> _With my sword, I raise it in front of my face in salute at the wanted picture of the princess who had betrayed the monastery. It’s not an ordinary sword. A legendary sword that could slay all evil, even dragons. It shall aid the princess’s cause, I swear upon it._
> 
> Also, can I send you a Christmas card?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone."


	7. DECEMBER

> "Dear Byleth,
> 
> _I heard rumours of a mercenary wielding a legendary sword wanted to join my army. How can I trust them? They could be a spy for the monastery. My advisor said he will take care of it. Regardless of the result, I want to believe they are on our side. Sometimes, I think about the futures If I didn't carry out the invasion. I would still be in school taking the examinations._
> 
> I like how your story intercepts with mine now. I suppose this feels more like a roleplay. I believe that the truth is that you're capable with a sword.
> 
> Also thank you for the Christmas card offer but I don't celebrate Christmas.
> 
> Warm Regards
> 
> Flame Emperor"

Byleth took off her fencing mask and walked towards the wall. Her eyes glinted. Putting down her épée, she took out her phone and opened up her inbox. It felt awesome to hear from them again.

_I guess they are a student. Even with exams, they're great at time management. Look at how they always replied to me without fail..._

"Huh, it's the first time I have seen you holding something else other than your épée in your fencing outfit."

Pursing her lips, Byleth reluctantly turned around to face her rival. Leonie was still donning the fencing mask but Byleth could imagine she was scowling.

"I'm taking a short break. Please do not say I'm slacking off."

"...I wasn't going to say that."

"Eh?"

"It's because of something on your phone that you're finally back to your usual self. I don't want to win against you when you're not at your best. So... Look what I'm saying is that I'm glad you're feeling better and I will kick your butt later."

Byleth was usually quiet but she was actually speechless this time. Then, she nodded with a small smile.

* * *

> "Hi Flame Emperor,
> 
> _Hungry, I hunted down the deer for lunch. However, a feral lion chased after me. But I didn’t run from that. I ran from my worst nightmare – camelopard. It had the print of a leopard and a body of a camel. It ate bare bones right in front of my eyes. I fear no dragon but that thing... that thing scares me._
> 
> You're right. I'm good with a sword. Are you a student? Maybe an university student? You have a refined air from the way you type somehow. Wise too.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone."

After her dinner, her fingers danced on the keyboard.

While she didn't celebrate Christmas with her father, she wanted to do something special before the year ended for her friend.

The Flame Emperor seemed to enjoy medieval history. She planned to gift them a book about castles but it seemed physical gifts were out of question. Not that she even considered the shipping costs in the first place.

Byleth opened up a doodle app. She was no artist but then again, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. She thought anything she doodled was cool. She drew a bear wearing an armour holding a funky sword. Then, she added a wanted poster border effect with a caption **'WANTED! MERCENARY WITH HOLY SWORD -FLAME EMPEROR.'**

She attached it on her email and ended off with 'Happy New Year and good luck with your examinations.'

The smile on her face hurt, in a good way. Jeralt seemed to follow suit.


	8. JANUARY

Edelgard barely couldn't contain her squealing. Each time she opened the email, her cheeks tinted pink. A large grin spread across her face which she covered with her palms. Hubert, who was sitting beside her partition, almost caught her staring into the picture if she changed her tabs a second slower. Fortunately, she only checked it after her examinations.

Well, that was the truth she liked to believe in.

In actuality, she saw the email right after Byleth had sent it. She had to log out immediately or else her whole afternoon will be spent on admiring it. She forbid herself on checking her emails until her examinations ended. The image of the armoured teddy bear popped up on her mind time to time and she yearned to see it.

_It's just... so cute._

She wanted to wish Byleth a happy new year so badly but her pride got in the way. She must send a picture too.

Thus, on a lovely weekend afternoon, Edelgard bundled up in a way nobody could recognise her. She donned a red framed spectacle purely for cosmetic use. Her hair was tied into a long side ponytail, tucked neatly inside her trench coat. Gone were the click-clacks as the heels were replaced with fluffy and flat boots.

Throughout the bus commute, she hugged her bag close as if trying to stop her heart from jumping out of her chest.

* * *

It didn't take long for Edelgard to reach her destination. The breeze ruffled her hair and she pushed her fringe aside. She breathed in the lovely floral scent accompanied by the salty sea smell. The sound of the crashing waves calmed her nerves.

_This will make the perfect background._

In the blink of the eye, her art supplies occupied the whole table. Newspapers were spread. Palettes were filled with primary colours. Brushes mixed them up and painted the canvas.

It had been a while since she painted by and for herself. Occasionally, she looked up to the sea and down to her canvas, forming a spitting image on it.

Suddenly, she paused with paranoia. She had a feeling she was being watched.

Edelgard embarrassingly swept the park with her eyes, making sure nobody she knew of were around. Luckily, she did not spot any.

With a gulp, she continued painting.

In the centre of the painting, she drew her princess persona. It greatly resembled her, only she was wearing crimson red armour and had silver hair. Her hand reached out for the companion beside her. An armoured stuffed teddy bear somehow brought to life. Its free hand reached out for the princess as the other held the legendary sword.

Then she added a caption, **'After 5 years of searching due to the war, we found each other, free from lions and giraffes.'**

Her shoulders relaxed and a sigh of relief escaped her lips. She was done and she was rather pleased with it.

_What a sweet painting._

"I agree."

_Thanks... did I say that out loud?_

"Yes."

Her startled eyes shifted to the sombre voice beside her. He stood tall in his butler uniform, eyeing her with a smirk.

"What a sweet painting indeed, Lady Edelgard."

Edelgard's composure completely disappeared. Her face now the shade of the princess's armour. She shrieked, "W-w-what a preposterous conclusion that it's drawn by me!"

She said as she held the brush firmly.

Paying no attention to her excuse, he leaned over her drawing and voiced his amusement, "I must say you really went all out with your undercover."

"Quiet, Hubert."

"So, who do I have to look for?"

"Quiet, Hubert! You're mistaken-"

"A bear, huh?"

She threw herself over her work, slamming the table. The art supplies were almost knocked off. Her body trembled in humiliation as he continued to tease her. She would have kept everything and ran off if she could.

Edelgard gritted her teeth, "Hubert Von Vestra. Your life will end once the painting dries up."

> "Dear Byleth,
> 
> A belated Happy New Year to you too. Thank you for your well wishes, I believe my examinations had gone well.
> 
> Moreover, I thank you for your wonderful sketch. I had painted something to commemorate our time together. I hope it's to your liking.
> 
> I'm embarrassed to say that my... friend had caught me drawing it. He wished to type a few words. Please note that he doesn't mean any harm.
> 
> 'Byleth. I'll have you know that the Flame Emperor hard taken this gift very seriously. They had gone down to the actual sea side for the background reference. Thus, I expect you to give your appreciation when it's due.'
> 
> Anyway, I'll give you my story next time.
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Flame Emperor & Friend"


	9. FEBRUARY

The monthly emails turned weekly and eventually daily.

They found themselves too invested in their stories, even forming a group name 'Black Eagles Strike Force' which Jeralt misheard for a knife brand at first. Byleth had mapped out the princess and her knight's journey with reference to all the fencing matches she participated around Fodlan. The Flame Emperor marveled at every place and strategy she came up with in conquering the nation. They supported her tactics, praising her guidance in paving a smooth journey. They also remarked they were proud to work with Byleth and that they made a great pair together.

Byleth felt the same. However, Jeralt did not.

"What about us? We were a great pair."

He was joking, of course. Though, he wished he was joking about what had happened for the past week.

Yesterday, she came out of the supermarket empty handed except for her phone. Out of fishing baits, they had to eat the only food available in their campervan-marshmallows. All three packets consecutively. He swore he would die from diabetes. Byleth almost opened the fourth pack if he didn't vomit in agony.

And just the other day, she forgot to charge her phone overnight because she fell asleep typing her email. Byleth didn't bring her power bank so Jeralt, being the great dad he was, lent his phone. He never saw the battery being drained so quickly before.

While Byleth had been more absentminded due to her new friend, he couldn't really get mad at her.

Jeralt admitted it was sweet of her pen pal to paint his daughter a drawing. He saw how content she was as she shared it along with her stories with him. He guessed he didn't mind having to eat another marshmallow to see her smile like that.

Speaking of the devil, Byleth turned to face him. She showed him her screen. Much to his dismay, it showed marshmallows were on sale.

"Want a s'mores?"

"Kid."

"-ding."

"...is your pen pal secretly Alois? Careful kid, any more lame puns and the fishes won't be baited."

Byleth flashed a coy smile and glued herself onto her phone again. Jeralt shook his head and recasted his fishing line.

At the corner of his eye, he looked at his daughter. She was glowing in a warm orange hue, expressing herself more than ever.

He looked up, admiring the sea's reflection of the setting sun.

Suddenly, the view looked familiar.

_... Isn't this the opposite view of her friend's painting? Didn't they mention they went there specifically to paint?_

He opened his mouth but nothing came out. A pang of loneliness hit him.

He had no doubt that Byleth would leave him to find her friend. A friend she made for a couple of months. Byleth had been by his side for her whole 25 years. Yet, these days her mind was somewhere else. Even now. He was already missing her attention. Who was to say that she might never return to him? Could he cope when the whole of her is no longer by his side? What if her pen pal is dangerous?

Jeralt felt a bite on his line, snapping him out of his thoughts. Clumsily, he reeled it in but the fish had escaped.

"I wasn't thinking bad jokes out loud, was I?"

Her voice startled him more than the fish bite. With her phone kept away, she hovered over the tackle box behind him. She pointed and counted the number of remaining wiggling worms, oblivious to his gawking stare.

_Huh, she was paying attention._

Perhaps he was wrong.

He may have made her decisions for her throughout her life, but there were two major ones that she made without him.

Fencing and penpaling. He shouldn't stop her from making her third.

Slowly, the dock creaked as he reached out for her head to ruffle her hair. His voice was as tender as his touch.

"No, it's just... you have grown, Byleth."

"Father?"

"Say... don't you think the view looks familiar?"

* * *

> "Hey FE!
> 
> Remember your drawing? Turns out I'm at your place, Hresvelgr. Enbarr right?
> 
> You also mentioned Hresvelgr in your first email! I can't believe I only realised it now.
> 
> Are you still here? Wanna make the reunion like in your painting come true? We can meet up after my match. Not literally in 5 years time but 3 months time. This is not a lie BTW.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone."


	10. MARCH

Rumours of the Flame Emperor becoming milder had been the talk of the school.

Her gentle smiles and tone made her more approachable and unfortunately, more noticeable.

Some said she had fumbled during debates. Some mentioned she entered one of her class late. Others pointed out she almost went into the gents. One even saw her making a grammar mistake between 'they' and 'their'.

As her humble butler and classmate, Hubert was ashamed to confirm they were all true with his own eyes.

The reason was simple. Lady Edelgard was distracted.

With his high level deduction skills, the very source of distraction was none other than that pen pal of hers.

Over coffee, Lady Edelgard had spilled the beans. She was seeking a simple pastime in hopes of making new friends. As she shared the stories, he contemplated whether to refill the jug of coffee. He would pull an all nighter to find out who her pen pal really is if they were to actually meet.

Turned out he didn't even need to. Her email and name were actually the only clues he required.

_Byleth Eisner._

A national professional fencer. The opponents and critics have bestowed the prodigy the infamous nickname of 'Ashen Demon' for showing no emotions before and after obliterating her enemies. She will be having her finals during mid May in Enbarr.

Everything matched up.

Unless someone was impersonating her. It would be easy to do so as Byleth didn't own any official social media accounts. Her remaining family members was only her father who didn't own any either. Google search results were full of their fencing achievements.

_What a private family despite their fame._

At the request of meeting up, Lady Edelgard was a bundle of nerves. Being her voice of reason, he advised her to inform them that she will think about it. Well, it seemed she took his advice to heart as she thought about it the whole week.

The butler had mixed feelings. He knew her from the age of 4 and the last time she acted this clumsy was when a shy boy gifted her a dagger. While he appreciated how their stories had uplifted her, he was worried about how vulnerable she became.

Moreover, the actual name of Byleth, a mighty and terrible ruler of hell, was concerning.

Nevertheless, Hubert was never the one who let his feelings cloud his judgement. Personal feelings would only hinder his analysis.

He suggested he could go in her stead. It was unlikely that Byleth had figured out her identity since the nickname was only known in school. He could then access whether she was qualified to meet her. However, Lady Edelgard rejected his plan. If anyone were to meet her pen pal as the Flame Emperor, it would be the Flame Emperor herself.

So to quell Hubert's apprehension before he hunted Byleth down personally, Lady Edelgard sent an email to her penpal for identity verification.


	11. APRIL

People did doubt whether Byleth is a human or a robot. She told them she could do captchas just fine.

However, she doubted that was what her penpal wanted to check for.

Byleth slouched on her foldable chair, slowly sliding lower and lower. She toyed the kebab stick in her mouth, tasting the lingering roasted sausage. The sound of crackling firewood usually lure her to sleep but her mind was racing on how to prove herself.

Her father had gone off somewhere, claiming nature called. That left her with the guest, Leonie.

Practice had ended pretty late so Jeralt had invited her over for dinner and promised to give a ride back home afterwards.

She had her elbow on her knee, propping up her chin. Her eyes bore into the woods, waiting for him to come back. Her excitement had died down with the flames of the campfire.

She had talked so much with him. Meanwhile, neither of them had anything to say to each other. That was until Byleth's anxiousness got the better of her.

"Leonie, how do you prove you're real?"

"What?"

"I mean... Er, imagine you want to meet up with someone online but they want to know if you're actually the person beforehand."

"... Like sending your resume before landing yourself an interview?"

"Huh, I suppose so."

"Don't resumes need you to attach your photo? There's also calling in to book the interviews too. Oh, video calls interviews are a thing. But if you ask me, honestly walk-in ones are easiest to do. Wait, are you trying to get a part time job or something?"

Before Byleth could reply, Jeralt had returned and offered to send Leonie home.

But those few words were enough to set a plan into motion.

* * *

A selfie might drove them away. Byleth had been told countless times that she looked insincere in her photos. Calling was out of the question too due to her monotonous voice.

However, a video would do the trick.

Byleth sent an email to the Flame Emperor, telling them to watch the sports channel at 7PM. She received no replies but she trusted her gut that they did.

At the awaited timing, she said something unscripted for her short live telecast introduction, "I'm Byleth Eisner and I'm also here in Enbarr to meet my friend, the Flame Emperor."

The show went on a commercial break soon after.

* * *

Byleth excused herself as she locked herself in the locker room. Her father took care of the damage control after picking his jaw from the floor. Leonie, although confused, helped as well.

Her lockscreen was spammed with emails from the person she just declared on wanting to see.

> "What do you think you're doing!?
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Flame Emperor"
> 
> "You just ruined your own reputation!!!
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Flame Emperor"
> 
> "Hi Flame Emperor,
> 
> Erm. You told me to prove myself to you. I believe this is the best way.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone"
> 
> "Now people will think you're crazy!
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Flame Emperor"
> 
> "I don't think I ruined my reputation too.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone."
> 
> "and people might think i'm the one you're looking for at home and scholl!
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Flame Emperor"
> 
> "Why am I crazy for wanting to see my friend?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone"
> 
> "school!*
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Flame Emperor"
> 
> "i might not even be real!!! we started with all lies remember??? i might even be a criminal!!! a scam!!!
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Flame Emperor"
> 
> "But every email we had were real.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone"
> 
> "what???
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Flame Emperor"
> 
> "We included truths eventually too.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone"
> 
> "i could be lying about them! you're being too naive!!!
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Flame Emperor"
> 
> "Then I choose to believe in them. Even if they aren't real, I enjoyed every moment. And I want to see you. I hope you might come.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone"

There were no replies afterwards.

It was not until midnight that Byleth could sleep in peace. All thanks to an email.

> "You idiot.
> 
> I'll see you in person to say it again.
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Flame Emperor"


	12. MAY

Ferdinand didn't mean to eavesdrop. He happened to pass by Edelgard's classroom last month, hearing her butler asking if she was going to check the 7PM show on the sports channel. Now that perked his interest for a couple of reasons.

One, Edelgard was never interested in sports. Two, neither did Hubert.

Furthermore, she was shushing him about it.

_Is she secretly learning a sport...?_

Thus, that started a chain of thoughts where he concluded his rival was training and studying a sport in secret. Naturally, on that evening, he found himself in front of the television with a notebook in hand.

_Fencing? Hah! I'm many steps ahead of her._

He beamed at the wall mounted plastic sword in his room. It was a great pity that his great rival didn't partake in Arts. Sword dancing was one of his many refined hobbies since he was a child. He should be able to pick up fencing easily.

The live telecast was giving short interviews of the finalists. Ferdinand was unfamiliar with the terms they had used and remarked to himself to research later on.

Except one of them.

"-meet my friend, the Flame Emperor."

_... Flame Emperor?_

He stopped typing his transcript. His eyes shifted from his notebook to the lady on screen. She was bombarded on her friend's identity by the reporters and him himself. He grasped the sides of his wide television, trying to take a good look but the commercials came on.

Ferdinand took a step back and gulped.

_Flame Emperor as in... our school's Edelgard!?_

* * *

The following day, he wasted no time in asking around. He approached his school's fencing club members, asking for their opinions about the fencer who mentioned the Flame Emperor.

They were mainly shocked for two reasons. One, Byleth Einser was known as a solitary prodigy never seen with or heard speaking about a friend. The other was that she was always serious.

So it was unlikely that she was lying about having a friend called the Flame Emperor.

Rumours of Edelgard being the Flame Emperor that the fencer sought for eventually spread in school. There was no fencer holding such title and only such person who bore it in Enbarr was Edelgard herself.

The lady in question was dismissive whenever someone approached her about it, especially to Ferdinand.

"For the last time, Ferdinand, I'm not going to answer you. Stop pestering me."

After school, he didn't stop asking and following her. Much to her dismay, she and her butler were used to it.

The final match was next week. He supposed he would get his answer if she went to support her friend. However, he didn't want to waste his precious days waiting when he could be practising fencing. He already felt so left behind upon the realisation that his rival had a professional fencer as her friend. How could he keep up with her when he didn't have a coach yet?

If they were truly friends, how long were they friends for? Did it start when Edelgard had been smiling more few months ago? Or were they childhood friends rekindling their friendship?

Hubert groaned, "This again."

Ferdinand followed closely from behind, pleading, "Then please just tell me, are you learning fencing? I need to know this!"

A sigh escaped Edelgard's lips, "Quiet, Ferdinand. I don't have time to entertain you."

"Edelgard, please! At least this question?"

"... That depends. What is it?"

"Are those bandages on your fingers from fencing?"

"No."

"Okay, thanks! I'll see you tomorrow!"

* * *

The following days were similar. Ferdinand asked a question, Hubert threatened him to stay away and Edelgard sighed before answering an indirect question.

He also couldn't help but notice the bandages on her hand along with the number of her stifled yawns kept increasing.

* * *

On the fourth day, she had enough.

Stuck at the red traffic light, the Flame Emperor exploded at him, "Ferdinand! I cannot stand your questions anymore. I will answer one last question for the whole of this month and I will not answer the rest. I will sew that mouth of yours if you do! You won't be able to talk anymore."

Her butler chuckled which sent a chill down his spine, "The irony is so amusing."

"Quiet, Hubert."

_Irony? That must be a clue! She said she would answer one last question and if I asked anymore she would sew my mouth... Wait are those bandages from... sewing?_

Again, his mind was quick to jump conclusions. Hopefully, he deduced correctly.

"Are you learning how to sew?"

"W-what..."

"Are you?"

"... Remember there will be no more questions after this."

"Okay."

"... Yes, I am. And yes, I'm not good in it! Now leave me be, I'm very busy!"

There, Ferdinand found it at last. A victory over his rival. However, the feeling was hollow. Her cheeks flared red while Hubert seemed to be sinisterly pouring something on his handkerchief.

As the green pedestrian traffic light lighted up, Edelgard glued her clouded eyes on the ground. Her lips pressed into a quavering thin line.

That reminded him of the depressing times he failed baking cookies.

With a gulp, Ferdinand broke the silence, "... Do you want me to teach you?"

"Huh?"

"Well I, Ferdinand Von Aegir, have picked up many skills to please a certain singer. One of them is sewing."

"Are you mocking me?"

"No. I... I know it's hard for us to ask for help. You seemed to be in a rush to sew something. It'll be faster with a pair of experienced hands, right?"

The three of them stayed still. The countdown timer had ended. Their hair fluttered about from the passing cars.

Just as the nearby lamp posts switched on, she spoke in a quiet voice, "... Can you sew a bear?"

* * *

On the day of the finals, Ferdinand was proud to see her heading off to the sports stadium with a strangely dressed teddy bear.

Moreover, he was proud of his bandages too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you imagine the three of them sewing in the limo?


	13. JUNE

Leonie adjusted the sunglasses on her head. Somehow, her constant frowning was pushing them down. She slid her hands into her hoodie pockets, warming them up from holding the iced latte cup she ordered. Sitting across her, Ferdinand seemed to be troubled for a different reason.

"The standard of the tea had dropped. It lacked the charming aroma."

She couldn't help but roll her eyes. She already felt so out of place in this cute cafe and would get out in a heart beat.

_I can't, I promised Jeralt!_

She gritted her teeth. After practice, Jeralt had been zoning out. He loitered outside the female locker room, sometimes calling out for his daughter. Leonie kept reminding him that she wasn't there. She dreaded the thought of him wasting his free time staring at the trophy Byleth won in his campervan.

Unable to see him in the pitiful state any longer, she promised to look out for her. That seemed to help him take his mind off his worry.

She sent a text to him, reporting Byleth's friend had just ordered some kind of cake and tea. It was instantly blue ticked and he gave a thumbs up emoji.

_Great, it's improving his mood._

Leonie continued to observe the pair. Across her, the two were seated against the walls, hidden from the windows. They dressed casually in matching dark red sweaters that almost resembled the flush on their cheeks. She got to admit, she never seen Byleth's face being that animated before.

She fiddled with the strings on her hoodie, occasionally glancing at her companion's tea. The only clue Jeralt knew about his daughter's whereabouts was that she was having tea in a cafe. Leonie had been cafe hopping, asking around for Byleth. She wasn't hard to miss with the shiny sword patch embroidered in the middle of her sweater. However, she only managed to find them thanks to the man in front of her.

Ferdinand was being really suspicious. He stood outside the cafe's door wearing sunglasses and a suit. Leonie almost didn't want to ask him but he recognised her as she sneaked past.

"Aren't you Edelgard's friend's rival?"

"... Yeah?"

"Well, Edelgard's friend's rival, they're inside."

"Call me Leonie. Uh, thanks for the info. Who are you?"

"I'm Ferdinand Von Aegir! Edelgard's eternal rival!"

"Okay then... How come you're not inside?"

"... Good question. Sorry, it became a habit to wait outside like the quiet room."

"Huh?"

So they found themselves sitting inside, sipping their drinks as they spy on their rivals.

Leonie mustered her courage. She said, "Thanks by the way. For telling me they're here and... for footing the bill."

Ferdinand cheerfully nodded, claiming it was proper etiquette to treat the ladies.

Leonie shifted her attention back to the duo's table. Byleth had taken out something from her bag. A teddy bear wearing a knight armour sat on the table. Edelgard burst into silent laughter when Byleth put a plain mineral water bottle in front of it.

_Huh, she brought the bear._

After the finals concluded, Byleth was hugging the bear gift instead of her trophy. Jeralt mentioned she brought it everywhere, even during mealtimes and to bed.

The orange haired rival shook her head. She remembered during her match, Byleth had faced the spectators and saluted them. Now that she thought about it, perhaps she was saluting to the bear. Or rather, she was saluting to both the bear and her friend as it rested on her lap.

_Wasn't that on the news the other day? Uh, something about Flame Emperor's identity revealed..._

Edelgard put her finger on her lips even though her friend wasn't saying anything. Then, she covered the bear's armour with the linen napkin. She looked rather proud of herself.

Leonie didn't know much about Edelgard. She never asked and Byleth never talked about her. All the rival needed to know was that Byleth's friend is important to her and became her new found reason to train harder.

"How did you know they will be here anyways?"

"Oh? Simple, I recommended this cafe for her friend. A sweet victory requires a sweet celebration, don't you agree? This cafe has the best bergamot tea which is Edelgard's favourite. As expected, she was very pleased with the idea. Shame it took such a long time for them to find free time to meet with each other. Being popular and all."

"I agree."

"I'm glad you do."

"Wait I didn't say that."

The two ginger heads turned to the low voice coming from behind. They slowly turned their heads, almost spitting their drink. There, a strange man in a butler outfit joined their table with a cup of coffee in his hand.

_Why is a waiter sitting with us?_

Ferdinand squeaked, "Hubert? What are you doing here?"

Leonie folded her arms. "You know him?"

The butler bowed. "I am Lady Edelgard's butler. Ferdinand, lower down your voice and don't ask redundant questions. I am obviously here to look after Lady Edelgard."

"Huh."

Leonie scratched her head and sent message to Jeralt, "Looks like Byleth's friend's friends are worried about her too. They're here sitting with me."

Jeralt shot a quick reply, "Haha. Maybe I should have joined too. JK."

She shook her head. She didn't want to handle three grown men spying at two ladies on her table.

As Ferdinand took a bite of his muffin, he gazed at the big paper bag beside Byleth. He remarked, "The bag is still standing upright. I thought it would be empty after the bear was taken out."

Hubert speculated, "Perhaps it might be a gift. I had informed her friend that 22 June is Lady Edelgard's birthday previously. It better be."

_Birthday?_

Leonie stroked her chin, "Huh. That reminds me. Byleth asked me for help in wrapping a book the other day. Something about castles. I thought it was a weird present for Jeralt but... I guess it makes sense now."

As if on cue, Byleth dug out the wrapped gift out of the paper bag. With Hubert's mouth reading expertise, she had said, "Happy early birthday, El, my precious friend."

Edelgard had turned even redder as she trembled in happiness. She hugged the present close and brought it to her lips. Then, she took out her own gift for Byleth. Again, Hubert translated her lips. She called her an idiot to which Byleth smiled at. Edelgard then revealed she got her and her father limited edition marshmallows. Her butler noted that those were expensive exports that took almost a month to arrive. Edelgard's father had questioned the delivery when it arrived at his doorstep which Edelgard lied with a straight face that it was for her debate research on farming.

The trio basked in their warmth, even Leonie who doesn't care much about romance.

"So..." Leonie faced her companions. She may have heard a couple of news about them on the television but none had explained their first meeting. Even the supposed public meeting they had at the fencing tournament was cut short as Edelgard left the bear at the seat and disappeared. "Do you two know how they met?"

The corners of their lips tugged upwards. In sync, they said, "It's a long story."

Hubert leaned back on his seat and folded his arms. "It started off with lies."

Ferdinand followed. "And eventually truths were mixed in."

Leonie leaned forward. "That sounds... scandalous somehow. Go on."

And for the rest of the afternoon, she left the poor father curious and unanswered. In fact, the trio was too engrossed in their tales, they didn't notice the main stars had left the cafe. Their hands were intertwined, off to replicate a certain painting in real life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING ON THIS JOURNEY WITH ME! This was my first time releasing as multi-chapter and I'm happy with it~
> 
> This fic was inspired by an actual penpal thread requesting to exchange lies with each other. I truly enjoyed writing Byleth and Edelgard and hope to write more about them in the future. Just not in the near future. I have lots of backlogs to do hehe.
> 
> Special shoutout to t1nytr33, ennjii & nallbats for your awesome daily comments. They brightened up my days <3 I will miss you guys!


End file.
